2024-06-122023/24:MJU17 · p.2MJUEnvironment & agriculture
Overarching measures for a circular and non-toxic economy
A numerical target for reducing Sweden's material footprint in the circular-economy transition
What's at stake: The decision concerns how quickly and concretely Sweden steers toward a resource-light economy, affecting industrial competitiveness, the climate and biodiversity. It also concerns whether Sweden's high per-capita resource use should be met with a clear numerical target or with continued broad-based development work.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should adopt a concrete numerical target of at least a 75 percent reduction in Sweden's material footprint by 2050 and step up the pace of the transition to a circular, toxin-free economy, or whether ongoing and planned efforts within the EU and Sweden are already sufficient without such a target.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motions. The committee shares the government's assessment that the shift to a toxin-free circular economy will bring major benefits for the climate, biodiversity and industrial competitiveness, and welcomes the fact that a range of efforts is already under way and planned globally, within the EU and in Sweden - including a committee examining economic policy instruments and work on a sharing economy. The committee considers this to show clear ambition, but stresses that the transition work must continue and be intensified where relevant, rather than a new numerical target being adopted now.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (V)
The reservation (V) calls for Sweden to adopt a target of at least a 75 percent reduction in its material footprint by 2050. The reasoning is that, according to the Circularity Gap Report Sweden (2022), Sweden is only 3.4 percent circular, far below the global average of 8.6 percent, and that Sweden, with 0.13 percent of the world's population, uses 3 percent of the world's resources - currently about 25 tonnes per person per year against a sustainable level of 5-8 tonnes, requiring a 70-80 percent cut to stay within the planetary boundary.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/19/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| S | No | Yes 91/0/0/15 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/15/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| L | Yes | Yes 11/0/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 58/0/0/10 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: high | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:438 by Andrea Andersson Tay et al. (V) point 2 and 2023/24:996 by Per Bolund et al. (MP) points 9, 10 and 13.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:438 av Andrea Andersson Tay m.fl. (V) yrkande 2 och 2023/24:996 av Per Bolund m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 9, 10 och 13.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag has dealt with a letter from the government concerning the Swedish National Audit Office's report on the management of spent solar cell panels and wind turbine blades. The Swedish National Audit Office's overall conclusion is that the government, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Energy Agency have not ensured that spent solar cell panels and wind turbine blades can be managed in a non-toxic and circular manner. The Swedish National Audit Office's recommendations to the government include, among other things, reviewing the need for policy instruments to promote such management. In its letter, the government agrees with the Swedish National Audit Office's findings and at the same time points to measures that have been taken, including that the government has tasked the Swedish Energy Agency with investigating how solar cell panels and wind turbine blades for wind power plants to a greater extent can be managed in accordance with the so-called waste hierarchy. The Riksdag believes that the measures the government presents partly correspond to what the Swedish National Audit Office is requesting. At the same time, the Riksdag emphasizes that the work needs to be intensified to achieve sustainable management of these products. With this, the committee proposes that the Riksdag places the government's letter on file, that is, closes the matter. The Riksdag also said no to approximately 180 proposals on circular and non-toxic economy in motions from the general motion period in 2023, partly with reference to ongoing work. The motions concern, among other things, sustainable design, consumption and production, reuse and recycling, waste, circular food issues, plastic issues and chemical issues.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants Sweden to adopt a target of at least 75 percent reduction in material footprint by 2050. (V) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan demands that reuse and recycling of materials increase, wants to see ambitious environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and identifies quantified goals as the method for linking goals to concrete proposals.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands that reuse and recycling of materials increase, wants to see ambitious environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and identifies quantified goals as the method for linking goals to concrete proposals. The counter-proposal's demand for a goal of at least 75 percent reduced material footprint by 2050 is precisely such a quantified goal within planetary boundaries. The plan therefore speaks for the demand, and against ongoing ambition being sufficient.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att återanvändning och återvinning av material ökar, vill se ambitiösa miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och pekar ut siffersatta mål som metoden för att knyta ihop mål med konkreta förslag. Motförslagets krav på ett mål om minst 75 procents minskad materialfotavtryck till 2050 är just ett sådant siffersatt mål inom den planetära gränsen. Planen talar därför för kravet, och emot att pågående ambition är tillräcklig.
- increased reuse and recyclingdecisive»Återanvändning och återvinning av material behöver öka.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reuse and recycling of materials need to increase.”
- quantified goals for transition»klimatmålen med konkreta, siffersatta förslag.« (party programme ↗)“climate goals with concrete, quantified proposals.”
- ambitious environmental goals with sharp legislation»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”
- shift to circular economy»Det är en nyckeldel i ett bredare skifte till cirkulär ekonomi och« (party programme ↗)“It is a key part in a broader shift to circular economy and”
The party programme states that natural resources and ecosystems are already being used beyond the limit of what is long-term sustainable and that production life, housing, energy and transport should be reoriented towards resource-efficient direction.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that natural resources and ecosystems are already being used beyond the limit of what is long-term sustainable and that production life, housing, energy and transport should be reoriented towards resource-efficient direction. A target of substantially reduced material footprint is an application of precisely that demand. The plan sets no own quantified resource target, so the position is inferred from the principle of resource efficiency and protection of biological diversity. The plan thus speaks for the counter-proposal's demand.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att naturtillgångar och ekosystem redan utnyttjas över gränsen för det långsiktigt hållbara och att produktionsliv, bostäder, energi och transporter ska ställas om i resurssnål riktning. Ett mål om kraftigt minskat materialfotavtryck är en tillämpning av just det kravet. Planen anger inget eget sifferssatt resursmål, varför ställningstagandet härleds ur principen om resurseffektivitet och skydd av den biologiska mångfalden. Planen talar därmed för motförslagets krav.
- resource use beyond sustainable leveldecisive»naturtillgångar och ekosystem utnyttjas i dag över gränsen för det långsiktigt hållbara« (party programme ↗)“natural resources and ecosystems are today being used beyond the limit of what is long-term sustainable”
- resource-efficient transition»transportsystem i resurssnål och resurseffektiv riktning« (party programme ↗)“transport system in resource-efficient and resource-efficient direction”
- more efficient resource use»Naturtillgångarna måste användas mer effektivt och energiproduktionen ställas om.« (party programme ↗)“Natural resources must be used more efficiently and energy production reoriented.”
- protect biological diversity»Samtidigt accelererar artdöden och den biologiska mångfalden hotas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time species death is accelerating and biological diversity is threatened.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme requires that the ecological footprint per capita of rich countries as soon as possible reaches a globally sustainable level and that total resource-consuming consumption is reduced to a sustainable level, with closed loops as the goal.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires that the ecological footprint per capita of rich countries as soon as possible reaches a globally sustainable level and that total resource-consuming consumption is reduced to a sustainable level, with closed loops as the goal. The election manifesto also shows that the party wants to govern with quantified targets, such as a Swedish emissions budget. A target of at least 75 per cent reduction in material footprint is an application of this.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att de rika ländernas ekologiska fotavtryck per person snarast når en globalt hållbar nivå och att den totala resursförbrukande konsumtionen minskar till en hållbar nivå, med slutna kretslopp som mål. Valmanifestet visar också att partiet vill styra med kvantifierade mål, som en svensk utsläppsbudget. Ett mål om minst 75 procents minskning av materialfotavtrycket är en tillämpning av detta.
- footprint to sustainable leveldecisive»Vi i de rika länderna måste anpassa vår konsumtion så att våra ekologiska fotavtryck per person snarast når en globalt hållbar nivå.« (party programme ↗)“We in the rich countries must adjust our consumption so that our ecological footprints per capita as soon as possible reach a globally sustainable level.”
- reduced resource consumption»Den totala energi- och resursförbrukande konsumtionen måste minska till en hållbar nivå.« (party programme ↗)“Total energy and resource-consuming consumption must decrease to a sustainable level.”
- closed loops»För att klara detta måste vi minska användningen av ändliga resurser, sluta slösa med energi och material och i ökad utsträckning återanvända och återvinna. Målet är slutna kretslopp.« (party programme ↗)“To achieve this we must reduce the use of finite resources, stop wasting energy and material and increasingly reuse and recycle. The goal is closed loops.”
- quantified targets as policy instruments»ta fram en svensk utsläppsbudget som gör att vi når klimatmålen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“develop a Swedish emissions budget that allows us to reach climate goals.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The manifesto's goal is for Sweden to become the world's most resource-efficient country with a more circular economy, and the party programme states the duty to use without consuming and that policy should be based on what science shows is necessary.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The manifesto's goal is for Sweden to become the world's most resource-efficient country with a more circular economy, and the party programme states the duty to use without consuming and that policy should be based on what science shows is necessary. A scientifically grounded target for reduced material footprint aligns with this. At the same time, the plan wants to extract more minerals and metals in Sweden, which makes support for such a sharp quantitative cap uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Manifestets mål är att Sverige ska bli världens mest resurseffektiva land med en mer cirkulär ekonomi, och partiprogrammet slår fast skyldigheten att bruka utan att förbruka och att politiken ska utgå från vad vetenskapen visar är nödvändigt. Ett vetenskapligt grundat mål för minskat materialfotavtryck ligger i linje med detta. Samtidigt vill planen utvinna mer mineral och metaller i Sverige, vilket gör stödet för ett så skarpt kvantitativt tak osäkert.
- resource efficiency and circularitydecisive»Sverige ska bli världens mest resurseffektiva land och ekonomin mer cirkulär.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should become the world's most resource-efficient country and the economy more circular.”
- circular thinking»Vi har en skyldighet att bruka utan att förbruka, att inte föröda kretsloppen för kommande generationer.« (party programme ↗)“We have a duty to use without consuming, not to deplete the cycles for future generations.”
- science-based targets»Klimatpolitiken ska utgå från vad vetenskapen visar är nödvändigt för att undvika farliga förändringar.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy should be based on what science shows is necessary to avoid dangerous change.”
- increased domestic mineral extraction»Det är bättre att Sverige tar ansvar och utvinner mer mineral och metaller istället för att fortsätta importera dem från länder med större klimatavtryck och sämre arbetsvillkor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is better for Sweden to take responsibility and extract more minerals and metals instead of continuing to import them from countries with larger climate footprints and worse working conditions.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan sets climate and environmental goals in terms of emissions and establishes that they shall be achieved within the framework of a growing economy, with general and technology-neutral economic instruments as the most effective tool.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan sets climate and environmental goals in terms of emissions and establishes that they shall be achieved within the framework of a growing economy, with general and technology-neutral economic instruments as the most effective tool. A quantified target of 75 per cent reduced material use is another type of goal that pushes down resource consumption as such, and the plan explicitly warns against requirements that undermine the conditions of the free economy. The counter-proposal's requirements therefore do not align with the plan, although circular material flows are themselves a plan objective.
Original (Swedish)
Planen sätter klimat- och miljömålen i termer av utsläpp och slår fast att de ska nås inom ramen för en växande ekonomi, med generella och teknikneutrala ekonomiska styrmedel som det mest effektiva redskapet. Ett siffersatt mål om 75 procents minskad materialanvändning är en annan typ av mål som pressar ned resursförbrukningen som sådan, och planen varnar uttryckligen för krav som motverkar den fria ekonomins förutsättningar. Motförslagets krav ligger därför inte i linje med planen, även om cirkulära råvaruflöden i sig är ett planmål.
- climate goals within a growing economydecisive»Vi ska nå klimatmålen – inga nettoutsläpp av växthusgaser senast 2045 och därefter negativa utsläpp – inom ramen för en växande ekonomi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall achieve climate goals – no net greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 at the latest and subsequently negative emissions – within the framework of a growing economy.”
- technology over growth halt»Medan andra gröna partier grundades för att stoppa tillväxten vet vi att ny teknik och nya lösningar är en del av lösningen på klimatutmaningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Whereas other green parties were founded to stop growth, we know that new technology and new solutions are part of the solution to the climate challenge.”
- environmental requirements without micro-management»De krav på förändring som miljöhoten innebär får inte leda till ökad isolering mellan länder,« (party programme ↗)“The requirements for change that environmental threats entail must not lead to increased isolation between countries,”
- economic instruments are most effective»såsom koldioxidskatt och handel med utsläppsrätter, är det mest effektiva redskapet.« (party programme ↗)“such as carbon tax and emissions trading, is the most effective tool.”
The stewardship principle makes man a steward and not master of creation and requires that waste is primarily prevented and that resource use becomes substantially more efficient.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The stewardship principle makes man a steward and not master of creation and requires that waste is primarily prevented and that resource use becomes substantially more efficient. A sharp reduction in material footprint follows that principle. However, the plan sets no numerical targets and the election manifesto wants the transition to happen in a way that works and is efficient, which makes the support weakly grounded.
Original (Swedish)
Förvaltarskapsprincipen gör människan till förvaltare och inte herre över skapelsen och kräver att avfall främst förebyggs och att resursanvändningen blir väsentligt effektivare. En kraftig minskning av materialfotavtrycket följer den principen. Planen sätter dock inga siffersatta mål och valmanifestet vill att omställningen sker på ett sätt som fungerar och är effektivt, vilket gör stödet svagt underbyggt.
- stewardship of creationdecisive»människan är förvaltare av – och inte herre över – skapelsen« (party programme ↗)“man is a steward of – and not master of – creation”
- prevent waste first»Avfallshantering ska främst utgå från att förebygga avfall« (party programme ↗)“Waste management shall primarily be based on preventing waste”
- integrated sustainability»Hållbar utveckling förutsätter att ekologi, ekonomi och sociala hänsyn integreras.« (party programme ↗)“Sustainable development requires that ecological, economic and social considerations be integrated.”
- efficient climate transition»Sverige är världsledande i klimatomställningen och det ska vi fortsätta vara på ett sätt som både fungerar och är effektivt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden is world-leading in climate transition and we shall continue to be so in a way that both works and is efficient.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan's environment and climate line is based on the net zero target 2045 and on technical development and growth as means, and the programme explicitly warns against expensive symbolic politics.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's environment and climate line is based on the net zero target 2045 and on technical development and growth as means, and the programme explicitly warns against expensive symbolic politics. The counter-proposal demands a new numerical target of 75 percent reduced material footprint, a different type of target than those the plan stands behind. The plan therefore speaks against the requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Planens miljö- och klimatlinje bygger på nettonollmålet 2045 samt på teknisk utveckling och tillväxt som medel, och programmet varnar uttryckligen för dyrbar symbolpolitik. Motförslaget kräver ett nytt sifferssatt mål om 75 procents minskat materialfotavtryck, ett styrmål av annat slag än de planen ställer sig bakom. Planen talar därför emot kravet.
- no symbolic targetsdecisive»Klimatpolitiken får aldrig reduceras till dyrbar symbolpolitik eller snäv klimatnationalism.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy must never be reduced to expensive symbolic politics or narrow climate nationalism”
- technology and growth as means(2022 manifesto)
- net zero 2045 as the target»Vi ska som land ta fullt ansvar här hemma och nå nettonollutsläpp senast år 2045.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall as a country take full responsibility here at home and achieve net zero emissions by no later than 2045”
- humans as the starting point»Människan måste vara miljöpolitikens utgångspunkt.« (party programme ↗)“Humans must be the starting point of environmental policy”
flags: citat_ej_verifierat
The plan binds resource and climate goals to cost-effectiveness and to EU level: measures shall provide most environment per krona, and evidence and Swedish competitiveness shall guide rather than the will to go first and furthest.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan binds resource and climate goals to cost-effectiveness and to EU level: measures shall provide most environment per krona, and evidence and Swedish competitiveness shall guide rather than the will to go first and furthest. A binding target of 75 per cent reduction of material footprint is the type of overarching symbolic goal the plan wishes to stop when it strikes against industry and business.
Original (Swedish)
Planen binder resurs- och klimatmål till kostnadseffektivitet och till EU-nivån: åtgärder ska ge mest miljö per krona, och evidens och svensk konkurrenskraft ska styra snarare än viljan att gå först och längst. Ett bindande mål om 75 procents minskning av materialfotavtrycket är den typ av övergripande symbolmål som planen vill stoppa när det slår mot industri och näring.
- evidence before ambitiondecisive»Evidens, resultat och svensk konkurrenskraft ska styra genomförandet av klimatmål i högre utsträckning än politikers vilja att gå först och längst.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Evidence, results and Swedish competitiveness shall guide implementation of climate goals to a greater extent than politicians' will to go first and furthest.”
- environmental efficiency per krona»Sträva efter miljöeffektivitet och hitta de åtgärder som ger mest miljö per krona« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strive for environmental efficiency and find measures that provide most environment per krona.”
- stop symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that undermines the ability to conduct industry and business.”
- targets adapted to EU»De svenska klimatmålen bör anpassas till den klimatlagstiftning som finns på EU-nivå« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish climate targets should be adapted to climate legislation that exists at EU level.”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:MJU17)
- Committee report full text (HB01MJU17)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1067 — Importkontroll av skinn av Helén Pettersson och Åsa Karlsson (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:107 — Återvinning av solceller av Margareta Cederfelt (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1096 — Ökad användning av avfall och restprodukter av Markus Wiechel och Victoria Tiblom (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1133 — Pant på batterier av Jan Ericson (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1205 — Minskad plastanvändning och främjande av återvinningsinitiativ av Serkan Köse (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1253 — Ekonomiska garantier för avfallsplatser av Martina Johansson och Malin Björk (båda C)
- Motion 2023/24:1263 — Matsvinn i livsmedelshandeln av Anders Ådahl (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1375 — Konsumenternas valfrihet när det gäller säkra produkter av Larry Söder (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:1400 — Gemensamt ansvar för rena stränder av Ann-Sofie Alm (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1519 — En grön klimathandlingsplan för Sverige av Elin Söderberg m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:1520 — Minskad användning av plast och förenklad återvinning av Emma Nohrén m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:1521 — Ett robust och modernt va-system av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:1633 — Sveriges 13 sämsta lagar av Rickard Nordin och Niels Paarup-Petersen (båda C)
- Motion 2023/24:1759 — Pant på saftflaskor - en stor miljövinst av Michael Rubbestad (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1768 — Införande av pantsystem för färgpatroner av Michael Rubbestad (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1770 — Obligatoriskt mottagande av importburkar och flaskor av Michael Rubbestad (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1784 — Fritidsbåtar av Rickard Nordin (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1808 — Olagliga komposter av Rickard Nordin (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1873 — För havets och människans framtid av Emma Nohrén m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:1996 — Förbud mot PFAS i Sverige, EU och världen av Magnus Manhammar (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament